Air-brake mechanism.



No. 703,480. Patented July I, I902.

W. H. SAUVAGE.

AIR BRAKE MECHANISM.

(Application filed Feb. 8, 1901,)

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(N0 Model.)

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WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

m By ATTORNEY:

- mi: uonms PETERS 00.. Pnm'auma. WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 703,480. Pa tented July 1, I902.

vW. H. SAUVAGE. AIR BRAKE IECHANISI.

(imitation mar-b. a, 1901. (No Model.) 3 SheetsShoet 3.

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I LIAM H,SA P? Arron/ '5 UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MEsNEAssIeNMENTs, TOTHE SAUVAGE DUPLEX AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF DENVER; COLORADO.

AIR-BRAKE M ECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 703,480, dated July 1, 1902.

' Application filed February 8, 1901. erial No. 46,573. (No model.)

To CLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in'the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Brake Mechanism; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in air-brake mechanism, my object being to provide devices adapted to be automatically regulated, whereby the braking force may be kept properly proportionate to thegravity of the car or load. In connection with my present invention I employ what maybe termed a governor-valve, as substantially set forth in United States Letters Patent No. 676,398, dated June 11, 1901.

In the drawings of ,thisapplication the brake mechanism is so arranged that the maximum braking force is'normally greatly inexcess of that required forfan empty car, but

through the instrumentality of the governorvalve mechanism only sufficientair is allowed to pass through the brake-cylinder when the cars are empty to give the proper braking force, after which the valvewill be automatically closed by the action of the air, which is thereby cut off from the brake-cylinder. When the car is loaded, however, mechanism is em ployed to hold the governor-valve open automatically, whereby sufficient air is allowed to enter the brake-cylinder to produce a braking force properly proportionate to the gravity of the load.

The invention Willnow be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which isillust'rated an embodiment thereof.'

In the drawings,,Fignr e 1 is an underneath view of a car equipped with my improvements and showing the brake mechanism arranged to'harmonize therewith. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the car being shown partly the lever'l2. .points F and H.

in section. In this view the WVestinghouse passenger-car formof brake-cylinder is shown. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the invention shown in connection with the passenger-car form-of brake-cylinder and on-a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a section taken'throughthe governorvalve mechanism onthe line m m, Fig. 4.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the train brakepipe; 6, the triple valve; 7, the auxiliary reservoir; 8, the brake-cylinder; 9, the push-rod; 10 and 12, the levers; A, B, and O, the brakerods, and D the cylinder-rod or the rod connecting the .two brake-levers.

As shown in the drawings, (see Fig. 1,) the f ulcru m-point 2, where the rod D is connected with the lever 10, is midway between the points 3 and 4, where thepush-rod 9 and the brake-rod B are respectively connected. Let

-E designate the pointwhere the rod D is connected with the lever 12, F the point where the saidlever is connected with the car, and

H'the point where the rod Cis connected with The'point E is midway between Assuming that .the cylinder 8 is an eight- I inch cylinder thatis to say, eight inches in diameter-the braking force when the brakes are applied is three thousand pounds at each of th'epoints 3 and 4, six thousand pounds atthe point 2, six thousand pounds at the point E, and three thousand pounds at each of the points H and F, These conditions give approximately twice the braking force permissible for an empty car, and with a fourteeninch cylinder the excess would of course be greatly increased; but by employing what I will now term a governor-valve it becomes practicable to employ this arrangement of the brake mechanism either with an eight-inch or a fourteen-inch cylinder or with cylinders of even larger size,'since no matter'how great the braking force it may be so controlled automatically that it will be properly proportionate to the empty car. This governorvalve mechanism is so located that the air in passing from the triple valve to the brakecylinder must pass through a port controlled by the governor-valve, and this valve may be set or adjusted to close at any predetermined pressure, the adjustment being such that the pressure corresponds with the braking force suitable for an empty car; but it is so connected with the body of the car that as the latter is loaded the tensionof the spring holding the valve open is increased, and consequently the pressure required to close the valve is correspondingly increased. When the governor-valve is closed, the passage of air to the brake-cylinder from the auxiliary reservoir is cut off. This governorvalve mechanism is set forth in the application aforesaid.

In Figs. 2, 3, and 4 the governor-valve mechanism is shown attached to the Westinghouse brake-cylinder-the passenger construction. In any event this valve mechanism is interposed between the brake-cylinder and the triple valve or the pressure source. Let 13 designate the casing of the governor-valve mechanism, whose lower portion incloses a chamber separated by a partition 16 into two compartments l4 and 15. This partition is provided with a port 17, through which passes a stem 18, whose lower extremity is provided with a valve part 19. The upper extremity of this valve-stem is connected with a piston 20, located in an upright chamber 21, in which is located a spring 22, whose lower extremity engages the piston 20, while its upper extremity engages a piston 23. Closing the top of the chamber 21 is a screw-cap 24, in which is screwed a tension-sleeve 25, whose lower extremity engages the piston 23. By means of this tension-sleeve any desired tension may be given the spring 22, whose tension determines the pressure required, acting on the piston 20 to close the valve 19. The air in passing from the triple valve to the brake-cylinder must first enter the compartment 14, pass thence through the port 17, thence to the compartment 15, and finally to the brake-cylinder. It will now be evident that by adjusting the sleeve 25 the valve 19 may be so set or arranged as to close and cut off the passage of air to the brake-cylinder whenever the pressure has become snificient to give the proper braking force for the empty car. A vertically-movable rod 26- passes through the sleeve 25,which is provided with a plain opening therefor. The lower extremity of this sleeve bears against the piston 23, while its upper extremity is provided with an antifrictional roller 27, mounted on a bolt engaging avertical slot in the casing. Between the roller 27 on the rod and the roller 28, journaled in the top of the casing, is located a movable wedge-shaped part 29, one extremity of which is connected with a spring 30, while the other extremity of the spring is connected with a stationary support 31 on the ear. The opposite extremity of the wedge-shaped part 29 is connected with two ropes 32 and The rope 32 passes over a pulley 34, mounted on one end of the car, and thence d0wnwardly,being connected with the sand-board 36 or a stationary part of the car below the spring by a turnbuckle 35. The rope 33 passes around an intermediate pulley 37, thence in the opposite direction and down around a pulley 38, being connected with the opposite sand-board 36 by a turnbuckle construction 35. The arrangement of the mechanism is such that when the car is empty and its body portion is therefore occupyin g its most elevated position the spring 30 is stretched and placed under tension by the pull of the ropes 32 and 33 on the wedgeshaped part 29, whereby the portion 29 of the wedge having parallel sides is located between the rollers 27 and 28, in which event the valve 19 is held open by the tension of the spring imparted by the sleeve 25 alone. However, after the load is placed on the body of the car and the latter is correspondingly depressed the ropes 32 and 33 will slacken and the corresponding recoil of the spring 30 will act on the part 29 to draw its wedge-shaped portion 29 between the rollers 27 and 28, whereby the rod 26 will be pressed downwardly and the tension of the spring 22 correspondingly increased. Hence it will require additional pressure to close the valve 19, and air will pass to the brake-cylinder to produce a braking force proportionate to the gravity of the load.

By running the ropes 32 and 33 from the wedge 29 to the opposite ends of the car vibration of the wedge is practically prevented. Oars when in motion are subjected to an end wise rocking motion of greater or less magnitude, depending upon the condition of the track and road-bed. As one end of the car goes down the rope connected therewith will slacken, and if this were the only connection with the wedge the latter would be subjected to a vibratory movement with the rise and fall of the car extremity; but when by virtue of the construction described one rope slackens the other will be held taut, since the opposite end of the car will remain in the elevated position. Hence the function subserved by the double rope connection with the wedge.

In releasing the brakes an increase of pressure in the train brake-pipe will be followed by a corresponding reduction of pressure in the chamber 14 of the governor-valve mechanism. A small port 40 in the partition 16 is normally closed by a valve 41, which is held in place by a weak spring 42. This spring should only be of suflicient strength to support the weight of the valve. As soon as the reduction of pressure occurs in the chamber-compartment 14 the valve will open in response to the greater pressure in the compartment 15, allowing the air to escape from the brake-cylinder and release the brakes. will open the valve 19.

The connections between the wedge 29 and the sand-boards of the car extremities may becomposed of chains as well as ropes, or

As soon as this occurs the spring 22 tension of the spring 22will not be increased.

In this event the normal tension of this spring when regulated .for an empty car will remain unchanged. Were it not for this fact, the wheels located under the empty end of the car might be locked and caused to slide by the undue braking force resulting from the load. This feature-namely, the tworopes leading from the Wedge to the opposite ends of the car-therefore prevents the sliding of the wheels by reason of the load being placed at one end thereof. under one end of the car the rope leading to the opposite end of the car will still maintain the wedge in its inactive position and pre vent the setting ofthe brakes and the sliding of the wheels. Hence it is evident that the wedge 29 cannot act to increase the tension of the valve-opening spring 22 unless the body of the car moves downwardly substantially in a horizontal plane, or, in other words, unless both ends of the car are forced down- Wardly by the load,andin case one end of the car is forced downwardly farther than the other the tension of the spring 22 will only be increased inproportion to the downward movement of the more elevated end of the car, thus preventing an undue application of braking force under all circumstances.

Having thus described my invention, what,

source and the brake-cylinder, a spring normallyholding said valve open, a rod connect ed with said spring and protruding from the it to act on the rod to increase the tension of In case a bolster breaks the-spring which holds the valve open,'and a connection between the Wedge-shaped device and the spring-supported body of the car, whereby the said device .is held inactive against the tension of its spring when the car is empty, and allowed to act .in: response'to the spring as thegravity of the load increases.

2. In brake mechanism the combination of a valve interposed between the pressure source and the brake-cylinder, a spring normally holding said valve open, a rod arranged when actuated, to increase the tension of the said spring, awedge-shaped device arranged to engage said rod, a spring connected with the wedge-shaped device and having a tendency to-causeitto act on the rod and increasethe tension of the spring which holds the Valve open, and'a flexible connection between the wedge-shaped device and the body of the car, and arranged to be heldtaut by the car-body when the car is empty, and also arranged to slacken and allow the spring connectedwith the wedge-shaped device to cause .the latter to actuate its engaging rod, as the springsupported car-body descends in response to the weight of the load.

3. In air-brake mechanism,the combinationof a valve interposed between the pressure source and the brake-cylinder, a spring nor mally holding said valve open, spring-actuated means having a normal tendency to increase the tension of the valve-opening spring,

and two ropes connected with said tension-increasing means and extending in opposite di-- ;rectionstoward the respective ends of the car, guides mounted on the body of the car and engaged by said ropesvwhich extend downwardly and are attached to stationary supports below the springs, whereby as the carlrocks and either rope is slackened, theother rope willremain taut andobviate vibration of the tension-increasing means.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses. valve-casing, a wedge-shaped device arranged R to engage said rod, a spring connected with said device and having a tendency to cause' WILLIAM IIQS-AUVAGE,

Witnesses:

DORA C. SHIoK,

A. J. OBRIEN. 

